Reinforced fibrous tacking strip



April 4, 1939. o. c. CURRIE REINFORCED FIBROUS TACKING STRIP Filed Sept. 3, 1936 w H R u E 5 5 T U Patented Apr. 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE Otis C. Currie, Jackson,

nolds Spring Company,

poration of Delaware Mich., assignor to Rey- Jackson, Mich., a cor- Application September 3, 1936, Serial No. 99,319

6 Claims.

This invention relates to tacking strips and more particularly to tacking strips for use in the interiors of automobile bodies to which upholstery is tacked. In automobile body construction it is common practice to provide sheet metal frame portions with a groove in which a tacking strip of some tough material, often especially prepared paper, is disposed. Upholstery is then secured in place by tacking directly to the tacking strip. In constructions of this character difiiculty is encountered in running the tacking strip around corners due to the fact that in bending it it isdeformed or transversely spread to such an extent that insertion in the groove is difficult.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above difiiculties by providing a fibrous tacking strip having helically disposed thereon a retaining wire for preventing transverse spreading when bending the strip around corners.

This and other objects will be apparent from the following specification when taken with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a partial sectional view of an automobile body corner,

Fig. 2 is a view of the tacking strip having one end thereof spread to disclose its construction,

Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 disclosing another form of the invention.

Referring particularly to the drawing the reference character I indicates a sheet metal automobile body portion having formed therein a groove 2.v Disposed within the groove 2 is the tacking strip 3 according to the present invention. It will be observed that the tacking strip 3 has a fiat exterior face 4, substantially parallel sides 5, and a curved bottom 6, the groove 2 being shaped to snugly receive the tacking strip 3. The exterior surface 4 of the tacking strip 3 is substantially flush with the surface of the body portion I so that upholstery may be tacked thereto to provide a finished interior covering.

The tacking strip 3 preferably is constructed entirely of craft paper having a core I which may be of slightly twisted or substantially parallel, compressed, transversely crumpled, strips. Helically wound about the core I is an exterior covering 8 of strips 9 of transversely crumpled paper, the entire tacking strip being compressed into a relatively hard mass.

The tacking strip structure above described is conventional and does not comprise a part of this invention. The invention resides in providing, tightly about the tacking strip 3, a helically disposed wire Ill. The wire III may be wrapped around the strip 3 in a direction counter to the wrapping of the covering 8 or it may be in the same direction but of a smaller pitch, as disclosed particularly in Fig. 4. The pitch of the wire I0 preferably is sufficiently great to minimize interference with tacks driven into the strip 3 and may be used approximately as shown with good results. It has been found that a soft basic steel wire of 26 gauge tinned to prevent rusting is satisfactory.

It will be clear from the foregoing description that when the strip 3 provided with the wire In is bent to dispose it in a portion of the groove 2 which is curved, the transverse bulging of the strip 3 will be restrained by the wire l0 thereby greatly facilitating its disposal in the groove 2.

It is within the contemplation of this invention that the tacking strip 3 be of other material than paper and that the specifications of the wire I!) be other than those stated to be satisfactory.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim is:

1. A tack holding strip of the character described to which finishing material or the like is tacked which comprises an elongated body of compressed fibrous, tough, tack retaining material, and a relatively fine strand of wire helically disposed therearound closely engaging the sides thereof, the coils of said wire having a sumciently short pitch to restrain substantial transverse bulging upon the bending of the strip a predetermined amount.

2. A strip of the character described to which finishing material or the like may be tacked which comprises an elongated body of helically arranged, fibrous, tough, tack retaining material, and a relatively fine strand of wire helically disposed therearound, the coils of said wire being opposed in direction to the coils of said body, whereby substantial transverse bulging upon bending of the strip is restrained.

3. A strip of the character described to which finishing material or the like may be tacked which comprises an elongated body of helically arranged, fibrous, tough, tack retaining material, and a relatively fine strand of wire helically disposed therearound, the coils of said wire extending in the same direction as the coils of said body and having a shorter pitch than the coils of said body whereby substantial transverse bulgme: upon bending of the strip is restrained.

4. A tack holding strip of the character described to which finishing material or the like is tacked which comprises an elongated body of compressed tough, bendable material capable of receiving and retaining tacks, said body being characterized by the fact that it bulges a substantial amount transversely upon being bent a predetermined amount, and a relatively fine strand of wire helically disposed therearound, the coils of'said wire having a sufficiently short pitch to restrain substantial transverse bulging upon the bending. of the strip said predetermined amount.

5. A strip of the character described to which finishing material or the like may be tacked which comprises an elongated body of a plurality of strands of paper twisted together and formed into a tough tack retaining material, and a wire strand helically disposed therearound in a direction opposed to the twist of said body whereby substantial transverse bulging upon the bending of said strip is restrained.

6. A strip of the character described to which finished material or the like may be tacked which comprises an elongated body of a plurality of strands of paper twisted together and formed into a tough tack retaining material, and a wire helically disposed around said body having a shorter pitch than the coils of said body whereby substantial transverse bulging upon bending of the strip is restrained.

' OTIS C. CURRIE. 

